Jimmy Kimmel’s ‘Happy, Healthy’ Son Turns Six Months Old

'We're very grateful for your prayers,' the TV host tweeted.

Six months ago, Jimmy Kimmel’s second child, William John Kimmel or “Billy,” was born with a heart defect. Just days after his birth, Billy had to undergo open heart surgery. At the time, the late-night host delivered an emotional speech about his son’s pre-existing condition, which garnered a lot attention given the current debate over healthcare.

The Kimmel family seems to be doing great now, but Billy’s birth certainly wasn’t without difficulty. When Billy was born, an eagle-eyed nurse noticed his skin had a strange coloring, and soon doctors determined something was wrong with the baby’s heart. It was determined he was born with a heart defect.

On a segment posted to YouTube in May, Kimmel shared the story of his son’s birth and open heart surgery to fix the baby’s pre-existing condition:

Since Billy’s heart surgery, his parents have been updating fans about his health and posting the cutest pictures.

Kimmel told the Hollywood Reporter that his son will have to undergo two more open heart surgeries in the future, but the family is remaining optimistic. “We would like to get them over with and not have to think about it all the time, but it could definitely be worse,” the dad said.

We couldn’t be happier to hear Kimmel’s son and the rest of the Kimmel family are doing well. Happy half-birthday to Billy and thank you for his father for using his platform to talk about health care for children!